Album Review: The Great Affairs – Sleepwalker
Reviewed by Lana Teramae
Formed in 2010, American rock band The Great Affairs initially started as an outlet for singer/songwriter Denny Smith’s Americana/acoustic-based material, but have since transformed into a melodic rock band with classic influences from the greats. Their latest studio album, ‘Sleepwalker,’ will be released on October 13, 2023. It is the follow-up to 2020’s ‘Everybody Moves, Nobody Gets Hurt’ album. The lineup consists of Smith on lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitars, harmonica, and keyboards; Corey “Rizzo” Rozzoni on lead and rhythm guitars, Matt Andersen on bass guitar, and Kenny Wright on lead vocals, drums, percussion, talkbox, and bass guitar for “Embers.” The album features guest appearances from Michael Webb, Stacy Hogan, Joshua Ketchmark, and Simone Miller.
Rather than focus on a specific genre, The Great Affairs decided to “let the songs lead the way.” And it definitely shows. The opening track, “When Love is the Drug,” has a pop rock feel to it with big backing vocals, a lot of melody, and a driving guitar riff. On the other hand, “Gettin’ Outta Sight” is a stadium rocker that falls into the style of ‘80s hair metal, like Mötley Crüe.
But one thing for sure, however, is that ‘Sleepwalker’ is a commercial sounding album. The songs are melodic rock with pop hooks, catchy choruses, perfect backing vocals, and radio-friendly qualities. “StrangeLuv,” specifically, sounds like modern day Def Leppard. Other album highlights include “Stevie,” the title track, and “Over the Moon.” The latter being a well-written ballad with an angelic piano melody played by Hogan.
There’s nothing wrong with the album per se, it’s just that it doesn’t have enough punch and the material feels too tame. If that’s the direction, The Great Affairs were going for, good for them. But none of the songs have a headbanging or classic rock feel, except for “Gettin’ Outta Sight,” which is actually the best song on the album. Even the production is really slick and over-produced, which doesn’t help at all. Overall, ‘Sleepwalker’ is a good pop rock album and nothing more than that.
